Slither of Danger [2]

Chapter Twenty

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I held Ginny tightly by my side as we carefully stepped through the now-open circular door and into the dark tunnel, the one full of snake skin. I gave us a bit of light by hovering a flame above my open hand. A distant sound of rock shifting filled our ears.

"Ron!" Harry yelled as he sped up, almost tripping over a piece of skin. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"

"You mean we've got het." I corrected him.

He looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile. "I mean we've got her!"

Ron gave a strangled cheer and his face peered through a sizeable gap he made.

"Oh, dang." I mumbled, seeing that the ice did, in fact, did not hold.

"Ginny!" Ron pushed an arm through the gap and pulled her through first.

I went to go through, the same time as Harry. We laughed as we accidentally bumped into each other. "You can go first." He offered.

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

I pushed my way through the small hole and rolled out, landing on my bum. I winced at the impact and rubbed the sore place as I stood up.

"But you're okay, Ginny." Ron beamed at his sister. "It's over now, it's -" He got cut off when Fawkes swooped swiftly through the hole, just after me.

"He's Dumbledore's." Harry said from behind me.

"And how come you've got a sword?" Ron asks, not even acknowledging me as he gaped at the weapon in his friend's hand.

"I'll explain when we get out of here." Harry replied. I noticed that he gave Ginny and I a side-glance.

"But -"

"Later." Harry said quickly, cutting Ron off.

Ron sighed and that was when he finally noticed me. His facial expression turned to annoyed. "Thank you for almost crushing me, Leila. A little while after you left, the ice began to melt and the room temperature got warmer again. And before I know it, the ceiling cave in, worse than before. I could have died! It was so close." He complain to me.

"Ron." I sigh.

"I thought you said it would hold!" He continued, ignoring me.

"Ron." I try again, only a little louder.

"And that it was safe!" Still ignoring me.

"Ron!" I yell.

"What?"

"Did you die?" I ask, giving him a look.

"No, but -"

I put a hand up, stopping him. "Then stop complaining."

I cast a protective shield over you and Lockhart. Don't ask me how I got it right, with my powers, I just thought about it and it worked." I explain when he gave me a dumbfolded look.

He blinked at me. "Well, thank Merlin." He suddenly sighed happily. "No wonder I haven't got any scratches or dust on me."

I laugh. "Yeah."

"Thank you, Leila." He says with a slight blush on his cheeks.

I smile in return.

We all walked back to the opening where the floor is covered in rat bones.

Harry stared up, making me stare up as well. It was the first time that I'm seeing a tunnel in the ceiling.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" He asks Ron.